Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland Athletics at bat during the Home Run Derby at Citi Field. / Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports

by Tommy Birch and Bryce Miller, USA TODAY Sports

by Tommy Birch and Bryce Miller, USA TODAY Sports

News that a Cuban baseball player had defected to the United States on Tuesday before an exhibition game in Des Moines brought interest and intrigue to the series that kicked off Thursday at Principal Park.

The exhibition series, which kicked off at the home of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, made national news when Misael Siverio, a 24-year-old pitcher, left the Cuban national team's hotel so he could defect and pursue his dream of playing in Major League Baseball.

Cuba manager Victor Mesa doubts whether Siverio has what it takes to make it big.

"You may see the gentleman that defected working as a laborer," Mesa said through a translator. "He came with us because he's a left-hand thrower but he's not that great of a pitcher."

Mesa said the defection came as a surprise to him. The manager thinks Siverio has Class AA or Class AAA talent.

Friends in the United States aided Siverio, according to El Nuevo Herald, a Spanish-language sister newspaper of TheMiami Herald. Siverio was removed from the roster before Cuba opened a five-game series against USA Baseball's national collegiate team.

The loss of Siverio, the lone left-handed pitcher on the roster, left Mesa searching for late-game options.

The series, which also will include stops in Nebraska and North Carolina, was the talk of the town, with television and radio stations discussing the defection since the news broke Wednesday.

"There's been a lot more talk and buzz and everyone's interested," said Jim Nahas, the Iowa Cubs' vice president and assistant general manager. "And it's just something that doesn't happen in Des Moines, Iowa."

Siverio, meanwhile, remained unaccounted for Thursday by Cuban officials - and a range of others.

One possible place a foreign resident could request asylum in Des Moines is the U.S. Customs office at the Des Moines International Airport. The office is used to process package-delivery flights arriving from other countries involving companies such as FedEx and UPS.

Brian Bell, a spokesman with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the Des Moines location was not involved in an asylum request from Siverio.

Officials with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office housed in the downtown Neil Smith Federal Building said they are unable to confirm or deny cases, but they said asylum requests require completion of a written application - one likely to be routed through Chicago.

A representative with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said his office would not be involved.

Shawn Neudauer, a public affairs officer with the group more commonly known as ICE, explained via e-mail that a visiting athlete is likely to fall under the jurisdiction of other customs or immigration offices.

"This isn't something ICE would have a role in, unless the individual has committed a crime in the U.S.," Neudauer wrote. "â?¦ ICE is the enforcement side of things and unless he's broken a law, we would have no role."

Since October, there have been 46 applications for asylum in the United States by Cuban citizens, according to U.S. records.

The defection, which occurred around 10 p.m. Tuesday, drew no comment Thursday from Team USA officials.

Both teams were scheduled to leave Des Moines after Thursday's game.

USA Baseball officials said the defection wouldn't affect the remainder of the series.

"Nothing has changed and nothing will change," said Paul Seiler, executive director of USA Baseball.

Nahas left the door open for an eventual return for both teams.

"To this point, after talking to USA officials, they're extremely pleased with everything that has happened here. And the Cuban team and the Cuban contingency really likes Des Moines, and they really like the staff and everything," Nahas said. "At this point, if they would want to come back, I think they would be interested in coming back, and we would be interested in having them."